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Any writer who votes for Boone for MVP should be forced to watch 48 consecutive hours of the two or three highlights of his career before this season. Remember, TerryPendleton-itis only lasts 2 years. Then you're back to your former .240 ways.

Everyone who drives in a lot of runs gets undue attention for it. Not enough attention is paid to the guys getting on base in front of him.

What Boone did before this year is completely irrelevant with respect to the MVP. MVP 2001 means most valuable player this year, not player with the most ability, not player you expect to do best next year.

There's no doubt that Boone has been among the most valuable players in the AL so far this year. And so by definition is an MVP candidate.

I don't think "among the most valuable players" qualifies one for MVP. Most valuable does. Off the top of my head, Giambi, ARod, and Alomar are having better years. For pitchers, Hudson, Mussina, Clemens, and Buerhle may be ahead of him too.

No one knows what those guys will do the rest of the year. I wouldn't give an MVP award to a pitcher who has an ERA in the 3s.

It may turn out that Boone will be in a small group of players under consideration for MVP. Don't forget that he has a huge positional value edge over Giambi and A-Rod might be discounted because of his team's lack of success.

At this point I wouldn't put him in the top 3, but he's certainly in the running - your original post implied that it would be a travesty for him to win the MVP award.

What I meant to say is, next year, when Boone is back to hitting .240 with 12 HR after signing a $70 mil contract, everyone will ask "What's wrong with Bret Boone?" What they should be asking is what's wrong with him this year.

"Don't forget that [Boone] has a huge positional value edge over Giambi and A-Rod."

"Your original post implied that it would be a travesty for him to win the MVP award."

What the hell are you talking about? The 1st statement is obvious and also applies to Boone. The 2nd is untrue in regards to A-Rod. Also Giambi's hitting so much better than Boone than it more than makes up for his position.

What the heck is the difference between MVP and Player Of The Year? Isn't the spirit of the MVP award the "player of the year"? Please don't attach meaning to the word "valuable" as that is just marketing B.S.

I'd guess you know as well as I know that the MVP is defined by the definition we give choose to give it.

Some seasons (1) an MVP might be a sparkplug kind of player who is regarded as the leader or one of the leaders on a winning team (Rizzuto, Zoilo V., Frisch). Some seasons (2)it's the guy who simply distances himself from the pack (Carew, Cobb, Musial). Sometimes (3) it's simply the perceived 'best player' on a winning team (Schmidt, Mantle and many others).

And always it's subjective.

This year, Ichiro falls into the first category. Boone, Ichiro and Martinez all fall into the third category, as do the Indians players, Jeter and Giambi. Rodriguez is in the second category, but he really hasn't, offensively, distanced himself enough to win the award.

The Player of the Year is based on outstanding performance. Playing on the winning team is not a prime contributing factor. Still, subjectivity rules, and as such, I simply LIKE Giambi better than Rodriguez, and the fact that the A's have caught fire helps, even if it shouldn't.

The Fireman of the Year Award, The Williams award, these trophies are awarded based on a formula. A player wins it outright.

Perhaps that's how MVP's and Player of the Year awards should be calculated??

Not for my money. I LIKE subjectivity, though mostly when it's wrapped in small doses; sometimes, however, I love it when the boat gets rocked.